In the year 1792, Sir Percy and Lady Marguerite Blakeney are the darlings of British society—he is known as one of the wealthiest men in England and a dimwit; she is French, a stunning former actress, and “the cleverest woman in Europe”—and they find themselves at the center of a deadly political intrigue. The Reign of Terror controls France, and every day aristocrats in Paris fall victim to Madame la Guillotine. Only one man can rescue them—the Scarlet Pimpernel, a master of disguise who leaves a calling card bearing only a signature red flower. As the fascinating connection between the Blakeneys and this mysterious hero is revealed, they are forced to choose between love and loyalty in order to avoid the French agent Chauvelin, who relentlessly hunts the Scarlet Pimpernel.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is the best-known novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, a prolific author of popular fiction and plays. First published in 1905, it pioneered the tale of the masked avenger and paved the way for such future enigmatic swashbucklers as Zorro and the Lone Ranger. Repeatedly adapted for stage and screen—including as a successful Broadway musical—The Scarlet Pimpernel is a relevant and enormously entertaining tale of survival and pluck during times of widespread fear, hypocrisy, and corruption.

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Listener Opinions

kris | 2/18/2014

" SIR PERCY, YOU TERRIBLE PRAT. "

Vanessa | 2/17/2014

" I just didn't like it. It wasn't poorly written, it just couldn't keep my interest. "

Crystal | 2/16/2014

" Set in revolutionary France, this is a cleverly written action novel that follows a band of aristocratic English men as they work to save innocent victims of the blood-thirsty revolution and it's dreaded Madam le Guillotine. It also follows the difficult journey of a married couple as they rediscover each other and the love, trust and confidence they once shared. "

Sharon Chidester | 2/12/2014

" This was a typical romance story of this era. I enjoyed if a lot even though I was able to figure out who The Scarlet Pimpernel was immediately. There were no surprises. "

Andilyn | 2/6/2014

" I will read this again and again, but I haven't yet. Clever, good romance, brilliant writing, and mysterious. "

Stephanie | 2/3/2014

" a very good read! I wished it was a longer book, so I had more time to enjoy it! "

Lucy | 1/22/2014

" What a load of romantic tosh. I loved it, couldn't put it down. Don't analyse, just revel. I'm going to marry Sir Percy when I grow up. "

Brenda | 1/17/2014

" Read this book! I have seen the play and in typical fashion the book is even more wonderful. This was a really fun read. "

Kim Loose | 1/12/2014

" I read it with a dictionary close at hand, but it was still so fun. The characters frustrate you but that is just because they are so human. It is a classic for a good reason. "

Julie | 1/10/2014

" Always a great read!! I sometimes equate The Scarlet Pimpernel as a combo of Pride & Prejudice and Tale of Two Cities (two of my faves, of course). "

Laura | 1/10/2014

" Such a wonderful book!!!! Can't wait for the 2015(isn) movie version with Neil Jackson, if it is still in development. "

Amy Siegfried | 1/5/2014

" Started out slowly while setting plot, characters, etc which I struggled through due to language. The book got much better as it progressed and "as advertised" was an adventure/romance novel. I enjoyed the book but not to the point that I would actively seek out other books by this author. "

Jacie | 1/2/2014

" Oh, I loved this book! I'll admit, I'm not one for classics normally, and it took me a little while to get into it. Once I started reading, though, I couldn't stop! I fell in love with the characters and couldn't wait for the infamous Scarlet Pimpernel to be revealed (although I had a pretty good idea of who it was). I liked the suspense and the fast pace read of it. I would totally recommend it to others, except for the fact that it might not be everyone's cup of tea. A lot of my friends didn't like the older English used and found it hard to read. "

Erin Crittenden | 12/26/2013

" HILARIOUS!!! I LOVE this movie too!!! "

Beth | 12/13/2013

" The writing gets a little dramatic as the book goes on but I love the story. "

Jenni | 12/11/2013

" This book was great! Much different from the movie version but lovely just the same. "

Lucy | 12/5/2013

" What a load of romantic tosh. I loved it, couldn't put it down. Don't analyse, just revel. I'm going to marry Sir Percy when I grow up. "

Rebecca | 11/21/2013

" The book starts excitingly and mysteriously enough, but end with a whimper instead of a bang and rather too quickly. The movie staring Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour improves upon a well conceived if poorly executed plot. "

Jet | 11/17/2013

" I really, really liked it. I just have a hard time with the whole, it was amazing option, but I really really liked it. "

Jayme | 11/5/2013

" Loved this book!! I fell in love with the characters and loved the twist this book has. It's set during the French Revolution or the "Reign of Terror" and the author does a good job of giving the reader a glimpse of this horrible historical era. "

Elizabeth | 9/25/2013

" One of the best romantic books ever. "

Tara | 9/10/2013

" Just a fun read with some good ole mushy romance and a little history sprinkled in. I really enjoyed it! "

" This was one of my FAVORITE books growing up! Such a great story -very exciting! "

Ta N. | 3/26/2013

" Give this a 5 because I couldn't put it down! "

Sabrina Godfrey | 3/19/2013

" A good classic but sometimes hard to follow some of the "frenchy" words. I liked the movie too. "

Jan | 1/16/2013

" one of my all time favorite reads "

Monique Abbett Pratt | 11/3/2012

" One of my favorite stories ever, ever, ever! "

Angie | 9/2/2012

" Liz loaned me the book and said it was her favorite and I can see why. Cute, simple and easy. "

Becca | 8/9/2012

" Really I give it a 3.5 stars. It was definitely predictable and it had that happily-ever-after ending that does get old, but I enjoyed reading this book. It was fun. I loved Percy's character. And I loved that Marguerite realized she could actually love him! It was a fun read. "

Christian Blackshear | 7/31/2012

" This book was really exciting. "

C.G. | 7/11/2012

" One of my favourite books that I have reread many times since I first read it in my youth. The French Revolution is not usually a time period I read about but this book and Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" are the exceptions. "

Bree Ammons | 5/26/2012

" I really enjoyed this story. I have scene the movie and the musical so I knew the twist, but as always, the book is way better. I am glad I bought this book! "

Christian Eggers | 4/8/2012

" When I say I finished this book, I mean that I am 10% in and am never going to finish this book. Wanted more 'Three Muskateers' and less... 'Scarlet Pimpernel' I guess. I'm sure this is good for someone, but for me, life is too short... "

Cheryl | 3/30/2012

" We saw a movie on this book years ago & loved it, but reading the book also helped to clear up some of the things I didn't understand at the time. A great classic! "

" I loved this book so much. It takes place during the French Revolution, which I don't know much about. It was a little more complex than some of the fluff I like to relax to, but very much worth the concentration. Fabulous. "

Julie Snow | 9/3/2011

" It was fine. I was hoping for a little more. "

Samantha Cardarelli | 8/27/2011

" Awsome book about the French Revolution focusing on the Reign of Terror and the flight of French Nobles. "

Spencer | 8/18/2011

" Awesome! I love this book. The characters are so real and so heroic! "

Scott | 6/26/2011

" I really enjoyed the book. It was a fun adventure story. Not terribly long, but a fairly quick and entertaining read.
"

Geetha | 6/22/2011

" They seek there, They seek him here - refrain throughout the book - I cannot remember all the titles that I read but best in adventure reading.
"

Izzy | 6/22/2011

" I love the adventure and romance. The second time through I started to catch Orczy's tongue-in-cheek toward her heroine. I hadn't realized the first time through how DRAMATIC everything is for Marguerite. Fun!
"

Gloria | 6/18/2011

" This is the best book based in the French Revolution I have ever read. To me it explained why the French citizens hated their nobles. And you can't help but love the league of the scarlet pimpernel and Sir Percy's ingenuity!
"

Jeannine | 6/12/2011

" Loved it! Didn't want to put it down! It's a mystery, a love story and an adventure story all in one. Another story to inspire me to study the French Revolution!
"

Cindy | 6/8/2011

" I absolutely adored this story!
It is a tale that has suspense, mystery, adventure, humor, and love...how could anyone not love this classic book?
"

Katherine | 6/8/2011

" I cannot imagine this book included in the Everyman's Library Childrens' Classics, but it is!! along with Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, etc. I suppose for older children, it certainly has suspense and mystery. I certainly enjoyed it.
"

Amy | 6/7/2011

" Good adventure, so-so writing. Especially choppy start, but it smoothed out a few chapters in. I think my girls (the 10yo & 7yo) will enjoy it.
"

Other Titles by Emma Orczy:

About the Author

Baroness Emma Orczy (1865–1945) was born in Hungary, the daughter of a baron. Raised in wealth among the aristocracy, she determined to achieve success as a painter and illustrator before starting a writing career. She wrote in English, although she did not speak the language until she was fifteen, and she produced many short stories and detective novels. Her greatest success came with the historical adventure novel The Scarlet Pimpernel.

About the Narrator

Wanda McCaddon (a.k.a. Nadia May or Donada Peters) has narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, has earned numerous Earphones Awards, and was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.

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